Destined From the Start  Part Two
by nerdielady
Summary: The Story of Grayson Kafeel, oldest son of Spock and Nyota as he grows from a small child to an Academy cadet.  This is a continuation of the original story, starting in the summer between Grayson's junior and senior years at the Academy.  Rated M.
1. Chapter 1:Arriving

**Destined From the Start - Part Two**

**Chapter One - Arriving**

**June, 2288**

Grayson picked up his duffle bag, slung the strap over his shoulder, and headed for Jilly's dorm. He reached there just as she came out into the weak early morning light, carrying her own duffle by the strap. He reached out and took it out of her hand, setting the strap over his free shoulder, unknowingly repeating actions his own father had performed under similar circumstances. Side by side they headed for the Academy transit station, and beamed up to SpaceDock, where they quickly found a public terminal set to display the layout, and found the path to the vessel they were to board. A short walk and they were at the ramp, showing their IDs to the security guard on duty. He raised his communicator to his mouth and spoke too quietly for Grayson to really make out what he was saying, but in only a moment there was an ensign there to lead them in. They were shown to the quarters they would be using for the next few days, and Grayson was irritated to discover that Jilly's quarters were nowhere near the room he would be sharing with three male ensigns. He did manage to conceal that irritation, though, and arranged to meet her in the observation lounge just before the vessel was due to disengage, so that they could watch.

He dumped his duffle into the tiny closet that was empty, not even bothering to unpack anything. They would only be on this ship a few days. Anything he needed could be retrieved quickly and he would not need to repack upon leaving. As an afterthought, he did pull out his utility kit and drop it on the bathroom counter. He then had two hours to fill, and spent the first one at the comlink, learning about the ship they were on. The second was spent using that knowledge to roam about the ship, learning how to find the mess hall, and sick bay, and other interesting spots. And then he was at the door of the room where Jilly was being quartered, and she was coming out, and his heart lifted to see the wide smile she offered him. Side by side they walked the corridors to the observation lounge, where they watched as the ship pulled out from its docking bay, slowly pulling away until they could see all of SpaceDock, hanging there in the blackness of space, with many ships docked. And then there was the sudden displacement, the rushing sense, that told them that the ship had gone to warp drive. They were actually on their way!

The next few days passed uneventfully. Both of them ducked into sick bay to offer aid, should it be needed, and spent a few hours discussing the new instruments they were learning to use at the Academy, and new techniques they had learned. But there were no injuries or accidents while they were there, nothing that they were called in to assist with. Mostly they just spent their day together, strolling around, visiting the arboretum, much smaller than the one on the Enterprise, or sitting in the observation lounge, looking at the stars and talking. The most frustrating part of the whole time was that they really had no privacy at all, and could do no more than touch each other occasionally, their fingers lingering, not wanting to end the brief chance to make their bond flare about them.

It was with a great deal of relief that the time came to rendezvous with the the Florence Nightingale. Duffles packed, they headed for the transporter bay with slightly elevated pulse rates, eager for what would come next. The technician gave them both highly unnecessary warnings, and then the familiar swirl started, and when it stopped, they were on another ship. There was a personnel officer waiting, with PADDs requiring their thumbprints, and then they were given com-badges and told to put them on immediately. Now they were officially members of the crew for the next two and a half months. They were led down the strangely silent corridors, and it was not until they reached the empty mess hall that Grayson figured it out. "It's ship night, isn't it?"

"Right. Sorry about that. Unless we have a medical emergency, we really only run two shifts. Gamma shift is a real skeleton crew. So I'm giving you the minimum tour, just enough to let you get started in the morning, and then it's off to bed for me." A crooked grin accompanied this pronouncement, and the next spot on their tour was sick bay. After that, they went straight to their new accommodations. "This room is for you, Nurse Colcannon. Just place your hand over the lighted plate there. That's good. Now enter your ID and press your thumb in the indicated box and you're all set."

The door swished open, revealing a small cabin. Jilly stepped inside and ordered the lights up, looking around. A room all her own! She set her duffle bag on the cushioned chair and turned about, seeing the single bed against the far wall behind a woven screen, the tiny table and chair next to the small replicator, and the desk with the comlink on it against the hall wall. Compact, not any space wasted. But all the furnishings looked comfortable, and the color of the paint on the walls and the colors of the furnishings were all calming and peaceful. She sighed happily and turned to say something, only then realizing that Grayson and the personnel officer were on the other side of the closed door. She went quickly and opened the door, only to see the back of the personnel officer retreating down the hallway, and the door to Grayson's room, right next to hers, shut. She sighed. Well, it was the middle of ship night. She guessed she better try to get some sleep. She stepped back inside her room and went to the packet on the table. The personnel officer had said that one uniform had been pulled for each of them and they could get the rest of their standard uniform issue tomorrow. This must be it.

Before she had a chance to open the packet, the door chime sounded. That could only be Grayson. She went straight to the door and tapped the touchplate, allowing him in. The door opened to Grayson's grinning face, and he came in quickly, enveloping her in a full-body hug. "We're here! We're really here! We're actually crew!" He lifted her off her feet and whirled her around, grinning madly, and she laughed and hugged him back. And then he stopped and set her on her feet again, and his face sobered up and his hands rose to cup her face. "Come and spend the night with me in my quarters, Jilly. Oh, please. Just come and sleep with me and I'll be good, I promise, just hold you and I won't do anything else, just hold you." The words came tumbling out so fast she couldn't get an answer in until he had to stop for breath.

"Yes. Yes. Just let me let my uniform and my toiletries kit." She looked up at his face, seeing the wonder and love on it and couldn't resist one quick kiss before pushing away to open her duffle bag and pull out her toiletries kit, then grab the packet containing her new uniform off the table. She had barely finished that when Grayson pulled her along, charging out the door almost before it was open. Laughing, she hurried along after him into his quarters, where he took the uniform packet and set it down on top of his, and then pulled her back to the door and the touchplate beside it. Quickly he coded the door to allow her full access and she pressed her thumb on the plate and entered her ID code. "We can do my quarters tomorrow." Breathless, she looked up at him, only beginning to realize the freedom they would have here on this ship. She sidled away, and bolted for the bathroom, laying her toiletries kit on the counter. She stepped back out into the main room, almost identical to the one she had been assigned, and stood there looking at him, not entirely sure what to do next.

Grayson solved that problem by pulling the covers back from the neat tucked-in state they had been in. He turned back to her, breathing a bit heavier than normal. "Bedtime. We'll get a short night."

She nodded, suddenly shy. She hadn't ever undressed in front of him before. It was at that point that she realized that she had not brought anything to sleep in with her. Her cheeks suddenly flooding red, she blurted out her lack. Grayson quickly opened his duffle and pulled out one of his Academy tee-shirts and handed it to her. "This will do, won't it?"

She nodded, still red in the face. She looked around, and sat down in the chair next to the table to take off her boots. Grayson sat down on the edge of the bed and took off his, and then crossed to the small closet and set them inside, and stretched to get hers, and put them there, too. They both hesitated a moment, and then pulled off their uniform jackets. Grayson went back to the closet and pulled out two hangers, handing one to her. She stepped out of her regulation uniform trousers and folded them across the hanger bar, and then hung the jacket over the hanger. His hand came from behind her and took the hanger, and she realized that she was standing there in her panties and bra, and quickly pulled the tee-shirt Grayson had given her over her head.

Warm arms surrounded her, and he nuzzled against the side of her face. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Just new. I never undressed in front of you before. If I had known I was going to, I would have gotten some special fancy underwear."

He sighed. "I don't need fancy underwear, but it would have been nice to see."

She giggled. And then she felt his hands, sneaking under her tee-shirt. "Grayson! What are you doing?"

"You don't really want to sleep in that bra, do you? I'm just helping you remove it." And the bra clasp was undone, and one strap was slipping down her arm. Giggling, she bent her elbow to help him, and the bra was soon completely off, and laying on the small table. She leaned back against him, relishing the feel of his strong body. He nuzzled his face against hers again, and then whispered that they really should get in bed and go to sleep. She turned towards the bed and took the few steps that took her to the edge. She sat down and scooted over, sliding her legs under the covers. She rolled over to face the bulkhead and felt him settling down behind her, tugging at the covers, molding his body around hers. He commanded the lights off, and sighed again, draping his arm over her ribs, his hand splayed out across the front of her body, his legs tucked up against hers, his chin in her curls.

She relaxed against his warmth and sighed softly. "Goodnight, Grayson. Sleep tight."

"Goodnight, Jilly. Sleep tight."

And they drifted off, content.

.

It was with a sudden alarm that Grayson awoke. Quickly he checked his internal clock against ship's time. They had slept too long! They really needed to get up and move quickly. He rose on one elbow and leaned over Jilly's sleeping form. "Ashayam, you need to wake up now. I forgot to set an alarm, and it's late. You need to wake up."

She stirred and yawned, making him grin. She stretched her arms, almost hitting him in the nose. And then she opened her eyes and looked at him, puzzled for a moment, and then grinning at him. And was up quickly, rolling over him and dashing for the bathroom. "I get to pee first!"

He sat there on the bed, grinning madly. This was just wonderful! He waited until he heard the flush, and then he was up, following her into the small bathroom. He was just in time to see her bare bottom disappearing in the shower stall. Quickly, he emptied his own bladder and pulled off his underwear, following her into the shower stall to her astonishment. "We have to hurry, no time for two showers."

Giggling, she slathered the handful of shower gel she had over his chest, instead of her own body. There followed far too short a time of mutual touching, disguised as washing. They were both breathing very hard in only a very, very short time, and Grayson's lok was hard and twitching. She stood there, almost touching him from toe to face, looking up at him, her face all soft and wonderful, and said. "We have to stop, Grayson. It's time to get dressed and go eat breakfast."

He knew she was right. He didn't want her to be right. He wanted nothing so much as to continue what they had started. He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, and used those techniques he had practiced so hard. His lok deflated, falling dejectedly back down to the much smaller form it usually assumed. When he opened his eyes again, she was looking in that direction, one hand so close that she could have touched, if she had not known better. "I'll remember where we were, then." She raised her face back up to his and grinned, and then waved her hand under the showerhead to stop the water.

They tumbled out of the stall and grabbed the towels laying on the counter, suddenly conscious that they were standing there nude in front of one another. There was much drying off while holding the towels in ways that shielded them from the other's view. This was something they just weren't used to yet. Jilly tucked her towel around her like a sarong, and stepped to the right side of the sink, opening her toiletries kit to pull out her hairbrush, toothbrush, and deodorant. Grayson had to go back out into the other room and retrieve his from his duffle, coming back and leaning over the sink to peer into the mirror, pulling at his skin here and there, to check where he needed to spread beard retardant out yet. There followed a short period of duck and bob as they competed for the use of the sink and mirror. Never having done this before, they were not at all used to it.

Grayson retreated back to his duffle, fishing inside for clean underwear, picking up what he had discarded on his charge into the shower and dropping it into the container in the closet. He had picked up Jilly's underwear and was about to drop it in as well when he was stopped by her sudden cry. "I didn't bring any clean underwear over here. I need to wear that again today." Without moving from where he was, he reached behind him with the hand holding her underwear. A little tug, and she had it. And then there was a little smack on his bare bottom, which made him grin.

It didn't take much longer for them to finish dressing. They checked each other out, and then they were ready to go. Out into the corridor, and off to the mess hall they had been shown the night before. This morning it was full of people. Quickly they went to the serving line and helped themselves to the hot dishes there. They both noticed that there was not nearly the variety they were used to. Fewer people, therefore fewer dishes. Trays filled, they quickly found an empty table and sat down. They didn't know anyone to sit with yet. But they had hardly eaten half their breakfast before several people came and sat at their table, introducing themselves. "This is Nurse Jones, and I'm Doctor Craig, and that's Doctor Henderson and Nurse Opperman. And you two must be our summer interns, Nurse Colcannon and Doctor S'chn T'gai."

Grayson winced slightly at the butchered sound of his clan name. "Doctor Grayson is just fine. And what I'm used to." He grinned.

Doctor Craig let out a deep sigh. "Oh, thanks. I know I must have made that sound horrible. Did anyone show you where the sick bay was last night?"

"Yes, the sick bay and this mess hall and our quarters. That was the extent of it." But there were smiles on both their faces. "And one uniform. He said we would get everything else we needed today."

"Well, finish your breakfast then, and we'll get you started on that everything."

The next few hours passed in a whirl of signing in, checking out, getting assignments, and learning where everything was. Lunchtime came as a welcome break. And after lunch, they were able to settle down in the cubicle that had been assigned to them in sick bay, and learn how everything was stored on this ship. And then they were given PADDs with the information about the ship's next assignment, which would begin tomorrow afternoon, when they arrived at the planet where a plague was threatening to eradicate the entire populace.

They ate supper with the four medical people that had befriended them that morning, and then were drawn to one of the rec rooms for several hours of socializing. It was late when they arrived back at the doors of their respective quarters. Jilly went inside, and opened her duffle to unpack, only then realizing that her toiletries bag was still in Grayson's quarters. She was headed that way to retrieve it when her door chime sounded. She opened the door to find Grayson standing there, looking totally focused and intense. She stepped back to let him in, and the door had hardly closed before he reached out and took her upper arms in his hands, looking down at her imploringly. "Jilly. Bring your duffle and your uniforms and come and stay in my quarters. Please."

"You mean just move in with you and stay there instead of where I've been assigned?"

"Yes. Please. Ah, Jilly, please. I promise I won't do anything you don't want me to. But please, Jilly. Ah, it was so nice. Just holding you in the bed all night, and showering and getting dressed together, and everything. Oh, please, ashayam, please." He bent his head and rested his forehead against hers, trembling slightly.

She raised her hands, and stroked softly against his cheeks, circling around his neck until her hands were clasped together at the back of his neck. And then she rolled her face slightly sideways against him and began to cover his face with small kisses. In between each kiss, she whispered softly. "yes." Nothing else was necessary.


	2. Chapter 2:Plague

**Destined From the Start - Part Two**

**Chapter Two - Plague**

**June, 2288**

The next morning found them slightly better at the bob and duck in front of the bathroom mirror, but the shower was still so new and wonderful that it took a great deal of will power to turn the water off and step out. And it was far too soon for them to be used to seeing the other completely nude. They exited for breakfast slightly flushed and feeling happy. They found the table they had been sitting at already occupied with most of the medical personnel they had met, and were beckoned down to join the others. The discussion at the table was all on the planet they now orbited, and the work that would start immediately after breakfast.

They all trooped off down the corridor to sick bay and collected the instrument and medication supplies that they had packed the day before. Slung about with bags and belts, they headed for the transporter bay. There they were introduced to the biomedical-hazard suits that they would be wearing for every planetfall. Grayson and Jilly had practiced with these suits at the Academy, but never while actually doing anything. Today looked to be an eye-opener. They suited up as quickly as possible, and checked each other out. The captain came around and double-checked everyone. They then loaded back up with all the supplies they had carried from sick bay. Ready at last, they stood on the lit discs. The last thing they did before hearing 'Energize' was fasten the face plates and perform the leak check.

When the transporter swirls cleared, they found themselves in the main staging area, just as had been explained to them on the previous day. Quickly the team separated, each one going to the area where he or she had been assigned. Grayson and Jilly headed for triage, for that was their assignment. The triage area was full, and they had trouble making their way across to the desk where a very tired-looking local sat, with a clipboard before him. When he saw the two suited-up peopled headed toward him, he perked up a bit and called the first name on his list. A hand waved limply in the air, and Grayson made his way across the room to the side of a very sick man. He knelt on one side, and JIlly on the other, and they began a quick assessment of the man's condition. His pulse was extremely rapid, and he was badly dehydrated, with the predicted boils covering much of his body. His breath rasped in his throat, and every few minutes he coughed, racking his whole body. There was not much that could be done at this advanced stage of the illness. Grayson spoke into his throat mike, giving the man's name, and his assessment, and then fastened one of the self-inflating markers to him before standing and looking at the man with the clipboard.

When they had been working for two hours, he turned to Jilly and made the hand signal that indicated a break. Standing off to the side of the room, which looked no less crowded than it had two hours ago, although several of the people were tagged with the inflatables, he sipped water through the nipple in his helmet, and watched Jilly with a critical eye as she sipped first on the water, and then on the nutrient mix. When their five minutes was up, he looked at her, and she nodded, and they headed for the next patient. Two hours later he repeated the process, only this time they took ten minutes. Jilly turned to face the wall, her face flushed. Grayson bent his head toward her, but she waved him away. Uneasy, he waited until she turned around again, watching her carefully. "I just had to pee. I've never peed in a suit before. It feels really weird. I didn't want everyone watching me and knowing what I was doing." She was still flushed, but quickly returning to normal. He took one last sip of the nutrient mix and headed back into the fray.

They took their last break two hours later. He was beginning to feel tired. His knees ached, his back ached, his arms were tired. He was sure that Jilly felt the same way. They moved slower than they had before, assessing fewer patients in that that time period. At the end of their shift, they stumbled away toward the beam up point, leaving the still-full room to the next shift.

They were not beamed up to the transporter deck, but directly into the detox area. First the outsides of their suits were sprayed, and then they unsuited and went into the detox showers. He could feel the sonics crawling over his skin in addition to whatever wet stuff it was that they were spraying on him. They came out into the drying room looking like drowned rats, and not feeling much better. They stood in front of the dryers, luxuriating in the warmth, and then dressed quickly in the medical fatigues provided. They exited the detox area, joining others headed for the mess hall.

Tonight there were no bouncy jests, no laughter, no banter. Tonight everyone was tired and wanted only to eat and sleep. Tomorrow there would be more of what they had encountered today, and everyone knew it.

They walked slowly down the corridor to Grayson's quarters, almost leaning on one another. Once inside, they spent little time on bedtime preparations, crawling into bed in their underwear and spooning closely, pulling the covers up to their chins and falling asleep almost before they knew it.

It was a very long ten days before the room where they assessed patients became less crowded. By the end of the second week, the room was empty by noon, and they spent the remainder of the day in other areas, helping out as needed. Both of them had the unhappy task of holding a patient while he or she breathed their last, more than once. On those days, they held each other especially tight under the covers. One night, Jilly turned and wrapped herself around him, her face buried in his chest, and sobbed over the children who had died that day. All he could do was hold her, and attempt to soothe her, sending calm over the link between them while he rubbed her back.

By the end of the second week, the tide had obviously turned. Fewer new patients appeared. Fewer patients died. The crew of the Florence Nightingale began to breath easier. Things were slightly more lively in the mess hall. A few hardy souls even appeared in the rec room, looking for some entertainment before retiring.

It was on one of those nights, when they returned to their quarters not completely exhausted, that they first took advantage of the situation they found themselves in. Grayson was sitting on the bed, pulling off his boots, when he caught Jilly out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head to see her better, his jaw dropped and he looked at her with his mouth hanging open, not believing what he saw. She stood in front of the closet, and she was removing her clothing, one piece at a time. But in between, she was moving, moving in ways Grayson had never seen before, bending and twisting and stretching. At first he thought perhaps she was simply relieving tired joints, but surely that would not have meant that she must remove her clothing in such a slow and seductive way. Standing with her back to him, she reached around to unclasp her bra, and let the straps slide slowly off her shoulders, down to her elbows, before shrugging out of it entirely. With one hand extended far from her body, she dropped it into the laundry container. She turned then, her arms folded over her chest and said something totally unexpected. "Ooops. Forgot my tee-shirt." She giggled at him, and began walking across the room, swaying her hips.

Grayson might be more unexperienced that he wanted to be, but this invitation was too plain for him to ignore. He rose from his place, and in two steps was in front of her. "I do not believe that you will need a tee-shirt until much later tonight."

She looked up at him, and wide slow smile spread over her face. "And why would that be?"

"Because I intend to spend that time caressing you and showing you how much I love you." With that, he reached forward and placed his hands on her ribcage, lifting her up and carrying her to the bed, where he laid her down so carefully. His own clothes went flying across the room, until he stood beside the bed in only his briefs, and then with great care, and very slowly, he proceeded to climb onto the bed and lay down beside her, one of his legs nestled between hers. Supporting himself on one elbow and forearm, he bent and began to kiss her. He started out softly and slowly, and gradually worked his way up to hot and deep. And at the same time, his free hand worked slowly to move her bent arms away from the treasures they covered. When she was moaning softly at him, her tongue tangled about his, his hand caressed her breasts, fingers lingering on her soft curves, softly caressing the sensitive skin, gently pulling at her nipples until they peaked firmly against his hand, sending waves of sensation along his nerves.

They were both moaning by this point, and her hands were moving against his chest, her fingers tangled in the wiry curls there, tantalizing his nipples, turning them into hot points that made him beg for more. It was at this point that the comlink chime sounded. Grayson raised his head from where his mouth hovered right above one rosy pink nipple and blinked in disbelief. Who could be calling them at this hour? He struggled to compose himself as the chime sounded again. "Comlink on, audio only." He cleared his throat then, before anyone could hear how he had sounded.

"Doctor Grayson, there is a change in assignment for tomorrow. Report to sick bay as usual, but you will be transporting to a different location on the planet below. Be prepared for almost anything. This is a pocket of illness only now identified. Oh, and by the way, if you see Nurse Colcannon, will you tell her about this change as well? She doesn't seem to be in her quarters." The captain's voice was dry, but amused.

"Yes sir. I'll do that, sir. Assignment understood."

"Well, then, I think it's time for some sleep, don't you? Another long day tomorrow. Put away your toys now." And before he could reply, the cut-off tone sounded.

Grayson flopped over onto the bed beside Jilly, gasping. She lay there for a moment, and then began laughing. He turned to look at her, and then he was laughing, too. They lay there laughing and holding one another until Grayson got up and brought two tee-shirts back to the bed. "I guess we better follow orders." He handed one tee-shirt to JIlly and pulled the other one on. As he slid into the bed and pulled the covers up, he leaned over to whisper in her ear. "But that last toy I almost had in my mouth was lovely."


	3. Chapter 3:Deliveries

**Destined From the Start - Part Two**

**Chapter Three - Deliveries**

**July, 2288**

Once the final pockets of infection were clear, the crew of the Florence Nightingale settled back into their normal activities. The ship picked up its usual flight pattern where it had left off to answer the emergency call, and headed for the next colony planet on its route, where it would deliver the usual medical supplies and teach a few classes. To his surprise, Grayson found himself teaching personal hygiene to a group of pre-teens. Jilly was assigned to teach a new mother proper breast-feeding techniques. Neither was comfortable with their assignment, but wisely kept this feeling quiet, sharing it only with each other once they were back in the quarters in the evening.

The next day they were back on their circuit again, heading for the next planet. And so it went, a few days in flight, and then a one or two day stopover, delivering medications, giving vaccinations, teaching basic first aid and whatever other classes were needed at each location. Before long, Grayson began to believe that someone was deliberately assigning the most possibly embarrassing tasks to the two of them. Or perhaps it was just that they were the 'newbies' and were getting the traditional hazing assignments. If that was the case, then they were being treated exactly like new crewmembers, and that was what he wanted. He said nothing to Jilly, not wanting to impart information that might be incorrect.

In the midpoint of their circuit, the Florence Nightingale stopped at StarBase17 to resupply. The crew all got shore leave, on a rotating schedule. Since they were the newest, they got the last time slot. This meant that they spent two entire days accepting deliveries, entering them into inventory, and unpacking and stowing the supplies. By the time their shore leave slot rolled around, they were tired and out of sorts, and raring to go. They changed into the one set of casual civvies they had brought with them and headed out.

First stop was a restaurant featuring fresh foods. They sat in a secluded booth and relaxed, dining on a delicious salad, stir fried veggies and rice, and mounds of fresh diced fruit with a tangy dressing. By the time they had finished eating, they were stuffed, and so they wandered slowly about after that, taking in the sights. There were shops of every description, and they ogled the goods in the windows, laughing at some, and trying to decide what possible use other objects had. Jilly sighed over some of the jewelry, and Grayson took careful note of the items that caught her attention, learning what styles she preferred. And when they came to the chocolatier, he did not object in the least when she went inside and purchased something, stashing it in the totebag she had slung over one shoulder. She would share it with him later, he had absolutely no doubt of that at all.

They went on down the broad street, a smug smile on Jilly's face, skipping the casino, looking for something more to their liking. And so it was that they found the jazz club, tucked into a corner, dimly lit, with soft smoky music playing. They were ushered to a small booth, full of fat pillows, and arranged themselves comfortably, Jilly leaning back against Grayson, and listened while they drank tall glasses of fruit juice, lightly spiked with something alcoholic. When Jilly began to giggle, Grayson knew that she had had enough, and probably too much. They still had an hour of leave, but it might take that long to get back to the ship. He stood, and found his head swimming. He must have had more alcohol than he thought, if it had had that effect on him. Taking a moment to let his head clear, he then half-pulled Jilly to her feet, and wrapped his arm about her. They stumbled out of the club, neither of them too sure what condition they were in, and headed back the way that they had come.

It seemed to take forever to get back to the ship. Grayson was not entirely sure how they actually made it back. One look at them, and the ensign on guard duty signaled sick bay and they were whisked away.

When he next was aware of his surroundings, he found himself on a biobed in sick bay. Jilly was on the next one, still out. Carefully he sat up, rubbing his forehead.

"Headache?"

"Just a little. What happened to us?"

"Jenga smoke most likely. Did you go in one of those little music clubs?"

"Yes, but it didn't seem smoky. At least not very much."

"Doesn't take much Jenga smoke. You're lucky you got up and left when you did. Much longer and you would have been out cold. We would have had to get the base security out searching for the two of you."

Grayson winced. That would not have been good at all. "I'll remember that. I'll be more careful next time."

The captain grinned down at him. "Hard to forget something so dumb. I'm sure you won't be taken in again."

Jilly began to stir, lifting her hands to cradle her head. Carefully, Grayson turned to assist her in sitting up. One of the other nurses was there then, giving each of them an injection. In only a few moments, the headaches went away. They were sent to quarters for twenty-four hours, and told to do nothing energetic at all. And by the expression on the doctor's face when he said it, he knew exactly what they had been doing in their quarters in the evenings.


	4. Chapter 4:Routine

**Destined From the Start - Part Two**

**Chapter Four - Routine**

**July, 2288**

Everything had fallen back into normal routines. The Florence Nightingale sailed through the blackness of space on her normal route, stopping every few days at a colony world, or one new to the Federation, to deliver needed medical supplies, give instructions in their usage, and give other instructions as requested by the government of that particular world, as well as vaccinating the world's population against the most current communicable diseases. They spent anywhere from a day to a week doing those things, before packing up and heading back out on their circuit. And every few months they stopped at a StarBase and restocked. The entire circuit might take them a year to complete, depending on how long they spent on each world, and what other emergencies they were required to handle.

The crew was used to this routine, and made good use of the days they spent in quiet flight. The first day away from a planet, they drew supplies from the cargo bays, and restocked all the pods in sick bay. All the pods which had been used, all the surgical units that had been used, were thoroughly cleaned and sterilized. The hazard suits, if they had been used, were also cleaned and sterilized, ready for the next use. By the end of that day, everything on the ship was clean, stocked, and ready to go. They were alert and ready at all times for any emergency which might occur.

The remainder of the days until the next planetfall were spent in training, study, and research. There were always new species joining the Federation, and it was necessary to learn about their biology. And there were new medical techniques as well. The Florence Nightingale had an advanced imaging system that replayed delicate surgeries, letting the watchers mimic the movements of the surgeon who had recorded the event, until they had mastered the technique. Grayson found this system intriguing, and was always eager to have a turn at it.

The food on the Florence Nightingale was always good, and when the ship was running between planets, unhurried, with no emergencies to handle, some of the crew members joined the regular kitchen crew, and cooked specialities from their childhoods. On those nights, everyone ate off the serving line, leaving the replicators standing unused. On one such night, Grayson cooked some of the foods that he remembered so well from the many visits to Africa that his family had taken while he was growing up. He was pleased when the dishes disappeared quickly, and by the number of compliments that he received.

Evenings on the Florence Nightingale, when the crew was not exhausted from working long shifts in hazard suits, were spent mostly in the rec rooms. There were the usual card games, and the games which required the computer interface, chess and other board games, and of course, the music provided by the various crewmen. Instrumental music of various sorts, and a number of vocal artists as well, kept the crew well entertained. And some of them eagerly encouraged the crew to participate. One evening there was a boisterous group singing music from over two hundred years previously, commonly called 'folk music'. Jilly was entranced. Grayson went to get his ka'athyra, and joined in, much to her delight.

There were also classes in the evenings, taught by various members of the crew, sharing talents they had, everything from the creating of special party treats to the care of bonsai plants, which a number of the crew kept in their quarters. Grayson was sure that his mother would have started a knitting class if she had been there. And the gym was well used in the evening hours, as well. It was surprisingly large for such a small ship, and extremely well equipped. Grayson worked out three evenings a week, and insisted that Jilly do so as well, much to her dismay.

But it was what happened after all these events, when they had retired to their quarters, and shut the door, that Grayson and Jilly looked forward to the most. When the comlink had been set to alerts only, and the lights dimmed down to twenty-five percent, and the door set to privacy lock, then was the time that only they shared. Some nights they were tired, and slipped into the bed, curling about each other in their Academy tee-shirts, speaking softly for a time before sinking quietly into sleep. But other nights, they spent their time exploring each other, learning all the ways to pleasure the other, where to touch, and how, and what to expect when they did. And their bond grew ever brighter, stronger, shining all around them. When he touched her as she lay upon the bed, her bright curls spread upon the pillow, he could feel what she felt, and it filled him up, and left him gasping, control ever more difficult to maintain.

He was adamant that they would not fully consummate their bond until they had a place that was secure, and private, when they would not be interrupted. He did not want the first time that they fully joined to be jarred by an alert siren before they could finish what they had started. Jilly understood this, and agreed with him, but found it difficult at times to remember this. When he hovered above her, his hands and mouth upon her, and her blood pounded in her ears, her hands pulled at him, wanting to feel his weight upon her, his skin close to hers.

"Now, Grayson, oh now!" She writhed upon the sheets, her body bucking up against his face, his hands pressing her back down while his tongue laved and lapped and drove her crazy. Sensing that she was at the edge of her endurance, he moved one hand and curved his fingers, sliding two of them into her wet entrance, seeking the spot he had found. And he found it quickly, unerringly, stroked it lightly, making her shriek at him, while he shook above her, his blood boiling in his veins, his lok hard and hot, straining for her, drops of lubricant seeping from its head. When he felt the muscles of her inner walls clench about his fingers, felt her buck hard repeatedly against his tongue as her body convulsed, he bit down hard on his control, shaking. And when she gasped and shook, and grabbed his hair, pulling his head up to hers, he moved readily enough, sliding up her body, feeling the warmth of her all against his eager body. Her hands moved over him, caressing, teasing, leaving him shaking, and then she had him trapped, her hands closed about his lok, while he growled and shook. He rolled over onto his back and she was over him, hands and mouth busy, creating flames everywhere she touched him. He was lost in her, and never wished this wonderful agony to cease. Her tongue swirled over his lok, and he pushed his hips up, trying to intensify the experience, and she did not fail him, but closed her mouth over him and began to suck, while he shook and growled and came apart.

They lay sprawled upon the tangled sheets, bodies damp with sweat, chests heaving as they sought to calm their breathing, hearts pounding. She nestled up against him, using his shoulder for a pillow, and he curved one arm around her, holding her close. With the other hand, he lightly traced the shape of her face, lingering over her cheekbones, until she sighed and turned her face into his hand, putting the points he wished to touch under his fingertips. And then he opened up the bond and shared everything he felt about her with her, while she filled him up with joy and love and wonder.

As she slipped gradually into slumber, he pulled the covers they had thrust aside earlier back over the both of them, and she nuzzled against the sensitive skin on the side of his neck, making small happy sounds. And he lay there, and wondered how he would ever last, until he could find them a place where they would be undisturbed for as long as they needed to complete their bond. It was growing more and more difficult every day.


	5. Chapter 5:Distress Call

**Destined From the Start - Part Two**

**Chapter Five - Distress Call**

**August, 2288**

They were sitting around the tables in the mess hall, eating breakfast, when the klaxon went off. "Emergency stations! Repeat, emergency stations. Rescue operation commencing." As one, the crew of the Florence Nightingale rose, leaving their breakfasts behind, and headed out at a fast trot toward their assigned stations.

Grayson and Jilly were sitting in their pod in sick bay when Grayson's name came over the intercom. "Doctor Grayson, report to transporter deck immediately." Rising, he hurried out, not even stopping to kiss Jilly goodbye. He practically ran down the corridors, arriving at the transporter deck so quickly that the captain was startled.

"Doctor Grayson, it says in your file that you participated in a mining cave-in rescue operation on New Vulcan."

"Yes, sir."

"Please describe your part in this operation."

"I joined several other men in clearing a passage of rubble and locating the miners who had been trapped. It was then necessary to carefully extract each one without bringing down more rock on our heads."

The captain held up his hands. "Enough. You have answered my question. Suit up. We have a damaged freighter out there. It appears to have had a run-in with an asteroid. Large portions of the ship have collapsed. Life support is patchy, but there are four life-signs still there. The rescue team will consist of two four-man teams. You will go in with the second. Stay together and don't be heroic."

"Yes, sir!" He wasted no time, climbing quickly into the last suit racked on the wall, sealing seals and running through the checklist with no wasted motions. And then turned to the man on his right and began the counter-checks. In very little time, his team was climbing onto the elevated deck, stepping onto the lit discs, and fastening up their face-plates. Although he could not really hear the familiar sizzle, he could certainly feel it.

The team materialized in an area not much bigger than the four of them. Immediately he heard the team-leader's voice in his ear and saw the hand signals. Life-sign twenty meters to their right - under that pile of twisted beams and buckled plating. Two of the men tried to skirt the mass, one from each side, but it was impossible. And so they began the delicate yet strenuous task of removing the rubble, one piece at a time, balancing the need for speed against the possibility of causing even more damage, or having the entire pile collapse. When an outstretched hand was seen, he knelt down immediately, taking pulse and pressure, and signaled that the crewperson still lived. The rescue effort was now focused on a much smaller area, seeking only to clear enough rubble to be able to remove the injured crewman. A few more minutes, and they carefully slid the body out, slapped a comlink badge on it, and called for transport. The body shimmered and was gone, and they headed for their other target.

This one turned out to be more difficult, for one leg was impaled by something, and the body could not be slid out. They would have to cut it free. Hastily covering the injured person with a collapsible shield, he ducked under to assess the status of the trapped person while the others worked with their phasers to cut him free. It was then necessary to crawl slowly backwards, carefully dragging the injured along, until they were completely free of that area, before summoning transport.

They turned then, heading toward the area of the ship where the other team was working, while their leader contacted the other team leader to see whether assistance was required. "We're losing atmosphere here! Urgent assistance required!" They headed in that direction as fast as possible. The other team was working swiftly to tunnel through to the last survivor, trapped behind a fallen section of bulkhead, in danger of being blown out of the disintegrating ship. Squirming in on his stomach, he slid under the partially lowered emergency blast door, and into the small space where the trapped crewman lay. It was immediately obvious that there would be no easy rescue here. As the other team members slid in, hand signals sent each one to prearranged stations. This was something they had practiced for. One fastened emergency breathing equipment into place. Another worked at securing the special inflatable trousers that would maintain blood flow to the brain. Another set up the shield that would protect from falling objects. Another set up a fluid drip, blood would have to wait until they returned to the Florence Nightingale. Their team leader carefully administered anesthetic, while the other team leader brought out the special cutting blade. Grayson found himself fastening the tourniquet about the man's forearm, above where his arm disappeared under the heavy metal plating. The last member of the rescue operation was on the communicator, passing on information, so that the operating room would be ready as soon as they could transport the severely injured man back to the Florence Nightingale. He reached out and slapped a comlink badge onto the man's chest, and then everyone flipped down their eye-shields and the the cutting blade lit up. As soon as the word 'free' echoed in their ears, the injured man shimmered and disappeared. And then they went sliding back the way they had come, back to their beam-in points, and back to the warmth and light of their ship.

They stood in the transporter bay, breathing hard, exhausted. The captain waited there, telling them they had done well, speaking to each man, sending them to shower. When he staggered into their quarters, there was Jilly, helping him out of his sodden clothing, running the shower hot and steamy, rubbing gel into his aching muscles. And when he tumbled into the bed, barely awake, she was there as well, curled against him, keeping him warm, letting him know he was alive.

.

Several hours later, he woke to the feel of her body snuggled against his with absolutely nothing between them. She smelled so good. He nuzzled against the back of her neck, his hands running over her body, feeling all the soft curves, the firm muscles. His lok rose hot and hard between them, twitching. She moaned softly, rubbing against him, and he groaned at the feel of her round bottom on his heated skin. He filled his hands with her breasts, kneading softly, pulling on her nipples. She moaned again and moved against him, igniting fires everywhere they touched. He bit softly on her neck, her shoulder, and she shuddered against him, crying out. He dropped one hand, and his fingers moved through her damp curls, parting her, stroking softly. She bucked against him, her breath almost a sob. Shaking, on fire, he reached between her legs and found his lok, drawing it down to the crease of her backside, and forward against her soft wet flesh. She cried out again and bucked against him, making his lok slide through the wetness there, coating it, making him growl at her. And then they were moving together, gasping, shaking. His fingers slid into her wetness, finding where they wanted to go, two sliding up inside, stroking that spot that made her scream at him, one pressing against the hard nub of her clitoris, his lok sliding back and forth with each thrust of his hips. She was frantic now, sobbing at him, and he pushed harder, and the head of his lok slid forward into the palm of his hand and he began to shake in earnest, growling loudly, ecstasy so close, so very close. Another thrust, as he stroked her, and her muscles clenched about his fingers as she wailed, her body bowing against him. The head of his lok slid into the palm of his hand again as he felt the hot flood begin, surging up, bathing him in heat and light as they soared together.

And all around them, the silver strands of their bond shone brightly, singing quietly of joy.


	6. Chapter 6:Return

**Destined From the Start - Part Two**

**Chapter Six - Return**

**September, 2288**

It was time to leave the Florence Nightingale. They packed their duffles and checked their quarters carefully for anything they might have missed. And then they headed for the transporter bay, where they would shortly transfer to another ship, headed back towards Earth. They found the captain and several other medical officers there, waiting to say goodbye. The captain told them that commendations had gone into both their files. A couple of the women hugged Jilly, and said it had been good working with them. Grayson found himself shaking hands with several of the other doctors, as well as the captain. And then they were standing on the lit discs, and the familiar shimmers surrounded them, and they were elsewhere.

An ensign stood waiting, PADD in hand, to direct them to the quarters where they would stay for the next couple of days, until they transferred again. As expected, they were on different decks. They hid their disappointment, and accepted the guide to the mess hall and rec room that was offered, and then they were on their own. It took Grayson no more than two minutes to fetch Jilly's duffle out of her assigned quarters and bring it to his own. She gave a little sigh and smiled at him, relieved. There were only a few nights left when they could be together, and she did not want to miss a single one.

They were able to access the Academy website, and check on the fall schedule of classes, but they could not determine which clinics they were assigned to this time. And Grayson asked, and was granted, permission for a subspace call, and they called his parents on the Enterprise, to find out when Amanda was arriving, so that they could be there to greet her. She was already on her way, just as they were, and was scheduled to arrive approximately twelve hours after them. Time enough to put away their duffles and speak with their friends, some of whom would remember her.

They transferred twice more, and then they were at SpaceDock, and directed to a shuttle. The trip down to the Academy was short, and then they were on solid ground. Grayson picked up both duffles and they headed for Jilly's dorm. Everyone was moving in, and there was a constant ebb and flow of people. Jilly checked to be sure she had the same room assignment, and then led the way, Grayson coming behind with the duffles. Annie was not there yet, so they closed the door, and said a long goodbye, stopping when they were both gasping for breath.

Jilly laid her head on Grayson's head and made a soft noise, almost a sob. "It's going to be so hard going to sleep without you curled up around me."

He stroked her back, trying to sooth her. "Two more years, Jilly. Just two more years, and then I'll be there every night. I know it seems like a long time, but it will pass quicker than we think. We have so much to do between now and then."

She nestled her face against his neck, speaking softly. "And will it be two more years before I feel you inside me? I don't think I can wait that long, love."

His arms tightened, and he buried his face in her curls, trembling. "I'll find us a place, ashayam, I promise. Somewhere we can be alone and uninterrupted. I will."

They were still standing there, holding one another, when the door swooshed open and Annie came in, laden down with luggage. Grayson moved immediately to assist her, and the two young women hugged and began to babble. Grayson shook his head, smiling slightly, and told JIlly he would be back for her half an hour before Amanda's scheduled arrival. She grinned at him, and said she would be ready, and he turned and left, glad to see her happier than she had been just a few minutes before.

.

When he got back to her dorm, Joey and Shron in two, she was waiting outside, eager to go. The four of them headed for the shuttle hanger, arriving only moments before the early appearance of the shuttle bringing Amanda. When she stepped down off the shuttle and saw them waiting, she screamed in joy and ran for them, trying to hug everyone at once. Her baggage was picked up and carted off by her brother and his friends, and they headed for the dorm she was assigned to at a leisurely pace, everyone talking at once. As soon as she was checked in, and her baggage left on her bed, they whisked her off the cadet mess hall, where the rest of their gang was waiting. It was a lively evening, as everyone tried to tell her what to expect, and what would be expected of her. Head swimming with advice, she bid them all goodnight, and entered her dorm to meet her new roommate.

Joey and Shron headed back to the dorm, and Grayson and Jilly took a long walk around the campus, holding hands and talking. As it was still several hours before curfew, they decided to walk off campus, in an area where there were apartments and hotels that were used by cadets and instructors. It was soon apparent that this neighborhood, although close to the campus, was not someplace where they wanted to stay. Everything was in poor repair, and even the street lighting was uneven. They turned about to head back, and found themselves face to face with three young men, dressed in sloppy clothing, snarls on their faces.

One of the young men made a grab at Jilly, and she retreated behind Grayson, who unthinkingly assumed one of the defense postures that his father had taught him. The young thugs laughed at this, until they came too close, and found that his strikes were on target, and he had not held back any of his somewhat-greater-than-human strength. One blow was all it took to incapacitate each one, and then he was leading Jilly away quickly. When they were several blocks from where they had been accosted, he stopped and pulled her up against him, holding her tight while she shivered. It did not take her long to recover, once she was certain he was unharmed. And then they walked back the rest of the way to the campus, the decision firm in his mind that this type of accommodation would not do for them at all. He would have to find another solution.

.

Over the next few days, as freshman orientation took place, and upperclassmen completed their enrollments for the current year, they visited with their friends, describing the incidents that had occurred during their time on the Florence Nightingale. And Grayson watched to be sure that his sister was making friends, and not sitting alone in a corner of the mess hall. It was during this time period that Dr Cantos called them into his office and commended them for the fine record they had made for themselves over the summer. He called them both by their full names, S'chn T'gai Grayson Kafeel, and Jill Anne Colcannon. It was the first time that anyone had called Jilly by her full name in many years. She turned the feeling of it over in her mind, and thought of all the changes that had occurred over the past few months. And that evening, as they all sat around the table they favored in the mess hall, she very solemnly announced to all their friends that from now on she wished to be addressed as Jill instead of Jilly. Joey looked at her with a funny look on his face and asked whether he had to change his name as well, and everyone laughed. But they all took her request to heart and tried hard to remember to call her Jill from them on. Grayson had the hardest time, and when they were alone together, she did not mind at all when he called her his precious Jilly. Not in the least bit.

.

The most difficult part of the first few weeks was learning to sleep alone again, without a warm body to curl into, without the soft sound of another's breath to listen to. And in the mornings, it was strange to find oneself sharing a bathroom with a well-known roommate, instead of a bondmate. But they muddled through it as best they could, knowing there was no alternative. And not a minute went by but Grayson mulled over where he could find a place for them, private and safe.


	7. Chapter 7:The Request

**Destined From the Start - Part Two**

**Chapter Seven - The Request**

**October, 2288**

He had explored every neighborhood close to the campus, and found none of them acceptable. He had read all the bulletin boards advertising small apartments for rent, and could find nothing that he could afford on his cadet's salary. And so it was, one evening when he found himself alone in the dorm room, that he placed a subspace call to his father.

When Spock's face filled the screen, he felt a sudden surge of relief. Surely Baba would know how to help him! He could barely wait to be sure that they had privacy before he began to try to tell his father what he needed. "Baba, I can't take her just anywhere! And everywhere I've looked that I can afford is not a nice neighborhood. I won't endanger her. There just doesn't seem to be a solution, and there are so few months left before I graduate, and leave her here alone for a year." He fell silent, not sure what else to say.

Spock sat quietly for a moment, his eyes slightly unfocused, and Grayson knew that he was thinking, and so did not interrupt. And then Spock nodded, just slightly, and raised his eyes to his son's. "I do understand what you are telling me. And I do understand why you feel this way. You are certain she is the one?"

"Yes, Baba, absolutely certain. And so is she."

Spock nodded again. "Then I may have the solution. I shall have to make some calls. It may take more than a few minutes."

"Baba, if you can solve this problem for me, I shall be very grateful. Please take the time you need and do not feel you must rush."

Spock's lips quirked up at the corners at his son's earnestness. But his voice was grave as he replied. "I shall call you when I have determined whether what I have remembered will solve your problem."

When the call had ended, Grayson sat there at his desk for several long minutes, not really daring to hope that his father knew something that would solve his problem. He had been ready to ask for money, so that he could afford an apartment in a better neighborhood, and he might still need to do that, but for now he would wait and see what his father's idea was.

.

It was Thursday evening, and Grayson had just returned from escorting Jill home from the mess hall, when the comlink chimed as soon as he opened his dorm room door. Crossing to his desk, he thumbed the receive button while sliding down into the chair. There in front of him was his father's face. Hardly daring to breathe, he greeted his father and waited to hear what he had to say.

Spock looked sternly at his son. "I believe that I have solved your problem. I must caution you that proper behavior is expected. You will be a representative of our clan, and expected to carry yourself as such. There will be no student parties. Is this understood?"

"Absolutely, Baba. I will be a model of behavior at all times." He had no idea what Spock was talking about, but if he had found a safe, private place where he and Jill could meet, he would certainly not share that knowledge with any of their friends.

"I am transmitting a file to you. Download it to a small PADD, one that you will not mind handing over. The second file has directions in it." Spock waited until Grayson indicated that he had received both files. "The cost will be absorbed by the clan, as is your right. See that you respect it."

"Yes, Baba. Thank you so much."

Spock looked at him once more, a sterner look on his face. "And see that you are both up-to-date on your contraceptives at once, if you have not done so already."

"We had our shots the first week we were back. It's part of processing-in." Grayson's eartips blushed.

Spock nodded at him, his eyes twinkling now. "Be sure to get your quarterly boosters. She does not graduate for another year. Remember this."

"We won't forget. We don't want anything at all to go wrong and keep us from serving together."

Spock nodded, asked him a few more questions about other subjects, including how his sister was doing, and then signed off. Grayson opened the second file and read through it, finding it consisted mainly of an address. He copied the first file to a small PADD and stuck it in his pants pocket, suddenly elated. He could hardly wait for the next evening to arrive.

.

Friday evening, as they left the mess hall, Grayson drew Jill away from the rest of their friends. "We have somewhere to go." She looked at him questioningly, but he gave her no further information. He led her to the transit station and they took the train into the section of the city where the embassy was, getting off at the previous stop. He took a folded paper from his pocket, which had a map printed on it, with an address bolded and circled.

"What is this?"

"Someplace we need to go."

"Could you be more mysterious, Grayson?" But her eyes were twinkling, and she almost giggled at him.

They walked the few blocks to the address he had been given, finding themselves standing in front of a ten-story apartment building. When he headed up the steps, she hung back for a moment, suddenly wary, but he pulled her along. They entered the lobby and found themselves facing a long desk, with an elderly Vulcan male sitting behind it. They crossed to stand in front of the desk, and Grayson raised his hand in the ta'al, giving a polite greeting.

After the greeting had been returned, the elderly male asked how he could be of service. Grayson brought out the small PADD. "I have been instructed to bring this to you."

The elderly male took the PADD and inserted it into the comlink sitting on his desk. Slowly he read whatever was displayed there, and then he made several entries on his keyboard, saying nothing. There was a small chime, and from a slot on a small machine beside his comlink, a doorwand rolled out. He took the doorwand and handed it to Grayson. "Your assigned quarters are on the sixth floor. Unit four. If you have any questions which the Housing Unit cannot answer, I will be here." And then he turned his eyes back to the book he had been reading when they came in and ignored them.

Jill looked at Grayson and he looked back, baffled. And then he shrugged and turned toward the turbolift on the wall to the right, tugging her along after him. In silence they waited for the door to open, and in silence they rode up to the sixth floor. They exited the turbolift and found themselves in a short hall, going off in both directions. Luckily they went in the correct direction the first time. Standing before the door labeled four in swirling Vulcan script, Grayson inserted the doorwand in the small hole in the doorframe and the door swooshed open. He stepped in, Jill right behind him, both of them overcome with curiosity.

They found themselves in a short hall. Behind them, the door swooshed closed. Before they had taken two more steps, they were greeted by a voice. "Greetings. I am Housing Unit 6-4. I am prepared to answer any questions that you may have, or I can give you a short synopsis of the available features of this unit if you prefer."

"Uh, how about the short synopsis."

"Very well. This is the Vulcan Embassy Adjunct Housing Building. It contains one hundred standard housing units, each containing one bedroom, one bathing room, one room containing equipment to freshen clothing, one living area, and one kitchen. There are also the standard number of closets and cupboards. None of the windows open to the exterior environment. Instead, proper temperature and humidity is maintained via voice control. All lights are voice controlled. The kitchen contains a stasis unit which is stocked with standard items. Anything which you require may be requested via voice command and will be delivered with two standard hours. Basic items such as undergarments, bedding, and bathing room supplies may also be ordered with voice commands. Do you have any questions at this time?"

"No, I think you gave us a good synopsis. Now I think we'll just walk around and look at things." So saying, he pulled her up next to him and advanced on down the hall until they came to where it opened out into the living area ahead of them, and the kitchen on the right. There was another hall at right angles to the one they had come down, as well. Beside him, he heard Jill gasp.

"Grayson! Am I hearing right? Is this apartment for us?"

He turned and grinned at her. "Apparently so. Do you like it?"

She gave him a quick hug and dashed off, opening cupboards, checking to see what was in the stasis unit, flinging herself down on the sofa, then jumping up to run down the other hall to see what was there. He just stood where he was and watched her, grinning broadly. When she called him, he went to see where she was. She was standing in the bedroom, looking at the broad bed in the middle of the room. "Grayson! Look at how big that bed is!"

He wrapped his arms around her from behind and bent his head to nuzzle at her neck. "And all for us."

She blushed hotly and squirmed in his hold before sighing and relaxing against him. "How did you do this? You can't possibly afford this."

He cleared his throat. She might not want to hear how he had procured this apartment. "Apparently I am entitled to quarters as a member of the family of the Ambassador. I was not aware of this until this week."

She turned around in his arms and hugged him. "Oh, I'm so glad you found out! And now let us check and see what we need to order."

The next half hour was spent checking all the cupboards and closets to see what came with the apartment and making out a list. And then he engaged Housing Unit 6-4 and stated what they wished to order. While they waited for their order to be delivered, they made a quick meal from what they found in the stasis unit and put clean towels in the bathroom and checked to be sure that the bed had sheets and a blanket under the duvet. By then the door chime sounded and Grayson went to let in two young men carrying boxes, which were set on the kitchen table. Jill immediately set about putting away the toothpaste, shower gel, deodorant, beard suppressant, and all the other things that went into the bathroom. Grayson put away the staple foods, and the fresh fruit and vegetables and cheese, that went into the stasis unit.

And then they were finished and met in the hall, each trying not to be too obvious about what they were both thinking. They stood there for a moment, looking at each other, and then he wrapped himself around her and held her close. "This is our safe, private place, ashayam. It is ours for the remainder of the year. We can come here every weekend and be together. Is it acceptable?"

"Oh, yes, Grayson! It's so much better than anything I thought we could find. And now I'm ready to do what we needed a safe and private place for." She turned her face up to his and met his mouth with hers, and he began to walk her backwards down the hall, not stopping until he had her up against the side of the bed.

They had had all the long summer to learn how to undress each other, and wasted no time now. He grabbed the duvet and yanked it back, getting the topsheet and blanket together on the next try, and then he laid her down in the middle of the bed, and covered her body with his. She wiggled and squirmed under him, setting him on fire, her hands and mouth on his body, tasting and touching, while he did the same to her. It took very little time at all until she was moaning at him, her hands tugging at him. He slipped one hand down and slowly slid two fingers into her body, moving them back and forth, making her cry out in pleasure. She raised her knees, planting her feet on the bed, and bucked her pelvis up at him.

His lok was rock hard and leaking lubricant. His body was on fire. His mind was on fire. Her scent was indescribably wonderful. The sounds she was making told him that she was ready for him, wanting him. Holding onto his control tightly, he gasped at her. "Are you sure, ashayam? Are you ready for me?"

"Oh, yes, Grayson, yes, love, now, please."

Carefully he probed against her opening with the head of his lok, clasping it with the fingers that had been stroking her, trying to be sure that everything was as wet as possible. And then he slowly eased inside, just the first bit, groaning aloud at the feel of her surrounding him. She gasped and lifted herself, trying to force more of his body inside hers, and he ground his teeth together at the feel of it. "Slowly, Jilly, I don't want to hurt you anymore than is absolutely necessary."

"It will only hurt once, Grayson. Don't wait." Her hands were on his buttocks now, trying to pull him closer to her.

He pushed into her a little further, and felt resistance. She tensed and then relaxed again, and as soon as she did, he pushed harder, and felt her jerk, and heard her gasp. And then he was completely seated within her body, and he held still, giving her time to recover. He looked down at her face and saw one tear on her cheek and then she opened her eyes and smiled at him and moved against him, making him gasp. He pulled back, not very far, and slid into her again, and she moaned at him. He tried it again, and groaned at the wonderful feel of it, and then they were both moving, trying to find the rhythm they had used before.

It did not take them long at all until they were gasping and clutching at one another, ecstasy pouring through them. When they could both breathe again, he carefully levered himself off of her and padded into the bathroom, coming back with a soft wet cloth, and another dry one, and cleaned her up. He returned to the bed and slid down beside her, pulling the covers up and holding her close against him. "You are mine, now, k'diwa. Our bond has been consummated and cannot be broken easily."

She sighed softly against his neck and snuggled up a bit closer. "I was already yours, love. And our bond will never be broken at all." And in no time at all she had drifted off to sleep, leaving him to follow after her in total bliss.

.

Ta'al = Vulcan hand salute


	8. Chapter 8:Working in the Cold Water

**Destined From the Start - Part Two**

**Chapter Eight - Working in the Cold Water**

**November, 2288**

They were almost finished with the morning's clinic when the summons came. Leaving their station as it was, they hurried to the office of Dr Cantos, Head of the Academy Medical Department, arriving there at the same time as the other teams they had worked with before. Quickly they slid into the room, standing against the back wall behind the others who had arrived before them.

"There's been a bad ferry accident at the pier. Teams are being called in from all over the city. The shuttle should be here by the time we get outside. Briefing on the way." And Dr Cantos was waving them out the door, grabbing up his communications gear as he went.

They practically ran outside, and climbed into the waiting shuttle as quickly as possible. Dr Cantos took the seat by the door, the navigator pulled the steps up and sealed the door, and they were in the air in less than two minutes.

"There should be a pile of thermal coveralls back there somewhere. Start passing them around. Put your uniforms in the bag the coverall comes in and stash it under your seat. We'll be working in the wind and water all day."

The cadets hurried to comply, twisting and turning in the cramped space, bumping elbows with the others as little as possible. Next came the insulated waterproof hazard suits. They helped each other with the connections, Jilly quickly showing some of the other girls how the 'plumbing' connections worked. Her experience in the suits from the Florence Nightingale became very useful all of a sudden. By the time the shuttle landed at the pier, they were all suited up, and Dr Cantos had checked the communications with all of them. They hurried out of the shuttle and lined up with their partners, waiting for assignments. Dr Cantos was talking into his cheek mike, nodding his head as he looked down the pier at the scene of mass chaos.

"Apparently the engines in the bow of the ferry failed just as it was coming in to dock, dropping the bow down while the stern stayed up and continued forward. It plowed into the dock, with the bow end actually under the dock platform. People were thrown into the water, and all over all three decks, as where the vehicles on the lower deck. There are people trapped in vehicles with water coming in. That's our assignment. We need to get to the lower deck as fast as possible and start getting the people out of the water." With that, he trotted off down the dock, the cadets following close behind.

As they approached the area of the dock where the ferry was crumpled up against and under the dock, someone came running and stuck a large bright sticker on the front of Dr Cantos' hazard suit, identifying him as a coordinator. Dr Cantos didn't even pause, continuing on across the temporary ramp that had already been thrown across to the ferry, leading his group of cadets across the deck and down the crazily tilted staircase. Threading their way past a group coming up with stretchers, they made their way down to the lower deck, where ground vehicles were thrown together in a haphazard tumble of crushed metal. Dr Cantos began to call off names and point, directing each team to a specific target.

There followed hours of grueling work, extricating injured people from the crushed vehicles, giving emergency treatment, transporting the injured people to an open space where they could be beamed to the waiting hospital emergency centers. They hardly took time to swallow a few sips of nutrient or water before plunging back in again. Dr Cantos roamed the deck, performing triage, labeling each vehicle or injury that he found, making new assignments as fast as a team finished transporting an injured person. They found themselves working in increasingly deep, cold water, the hazard suits and thermal coveralls helping, but not negating, the cold. Grayson found that his feet were becoming numb, but tried his best to ignore the feeling.

At some point, he became aware that someone had set up bright lights around the deck, making their work easier. But he entirely lost track of the amount of time they had spent working until he and Jill straightened up from transporting the last person they had worked on and found that there were no other injuries left to treat. They spent another half hour clearing out the few bodies that remained, and then slowly followed Dr Cantos back up the stairs and onto the dock. There was their shuttle, waiting for them at the other end of the dock. Wearily they all climbed in, and removed the faceplates of their hazard suits, leaning back against the seats as the pilot and navigator passed out bottles of hot stimulants before sealing up the shuttle and heading back to the Academy grounds. Dr Cantos told them to leave their hazard suits on. "We'll decontaminate at the Medical Center. Just bring the bags with your uniforms in them with you."

They trouped into the Medical Center, following Dr Cantos down the hall to the decontamination room. People were there, to help them out of the hazard suits after spraying them down. Then into the showers, the hot water feeling tremendously good. When everyone was back in uniform again, they found Dr Cantos waiting at the doorway. "Back into the shuttle. They'll take you to the commons in the center of the dorms. No need to hike across campus tonight. Job well done, teams. Once again you have demonstrated to the city of San Francisco that it is a good thing to have the Academy close at hand." And he waved them out the door and into the waiting shuttle.

A short trip and they were stumbling out of the shuttle in the open area at the center of the collection of undergraduate dormitories. People headed off in all directions, and Grayson and Jill did not find it difficult to slip around the end of a building and head down the path to the transit station. Luckily, a train pulled up just as they made it to the platform. They entered a completely empty car and collapsed onto a seat, Jill leaning against Grayson.

"Don't fall asleep yet, ashayam. We'll be at our destination in only a few minutes."

"But I'm so tired, Grayson. Can't I just sleep until we get there?"

"No, you have to stay awake. I can't carry you in, it just wouldn't look right at all." He tucked a drooping curl behind her ear, caressing the side of her face lightly. "You worked hard. You have a right to be tired. But only a little longer, and you can rest."

She nodded tiredly against him, her eyes drooping. He continued to talk to her, forcing her to respond to him, keeping her awake until the train stopped. They exited onto the now-familiar platform, and walked the short distance to the building where their apartment was, stopping at the entryway to straighten up before they walked in. Across the lobby they went, backs straight, and into the waiting turbolift, only relaxing again when their own door closed behind them.

"Can we have another shower? I'm still cold."

"Good idea." With that he headed straight for the bedroom and collapsed more than sat on the edge of the bed to pull his boots off. Clothes went into a jumbled pile on the floor, both being too tired to hang them up. Tomorrow would be sufficient time. They stumbled into the bathroom and leaned against each other as the water began to steam over them. They stood there, exhausted, until they began to warm up. And then Grayson began to run Jill's favorite shower gel over her, massaging sore muscles. She moaned softly at him, and he bent his head down and began to kiss her, softly moving his lips over hers. Her arms went up to encircle him, and she moved against him, setting him on fire.

"How tired are you?"

"Ah, not that tired. Just keep on doing what you're doing." Her voice was soft and husky, and her hands were busy, moving over his body, leaving trails of fire behind. It was not long before his hands were under her bottom, lifting her up against him while she wound her legs around him, her heels against his buttocks, pulling him even closer to her. He moved a step, so that her back was braced against the wall and he could move, sliding slowly deep into her body as she moaned and clutched him to her. He moved his hips back, pulling almost out of her body, and then slid in again, making her cry out and tighten her muscles against him. He groaned at the feel of it, and she dug her fingernails into his back, then bent forward and bit his shoulder gently.

"Harder, k'diwa. Bite me harder." His voice growled at her as she responded to his request, biting his shoulder and the side of his neck as he shuddered against her. His movements came faster now, and she rocked against the wall, her bottom moving against his hands, stimulating the receptors there, adding to his arousal, until he was barely able to contain himself. And then she was bowing up against him, her muscles clenching down, gasping and crying out in ecstasy, and he let loose his controls and joined her, shuddering as he filled her body.

They stood there for a few moments more, holding each other, murmuring softly, and then he carefully lifted her and set her down on her feet, holding her until he was sure she was stable. A quick wash to clear away the sticky reminder of their recent activity, and he waved the water off and opened the stall door, letting the steam out into the room. He grabbed a towel and wrapped her in it, and another for himself. He used a smaller towel to rub her curls, trying to get as much water out of her hair as he could. And then he half carried her back into the bedroom, falling down onto the bed and burrowing under the covers, asleep almost before they were settled.


	9. Chapter 9:Christmas in Africa

**Destined From the Start - Part Two**

**Chapter Nine - Christmas in Africa**

**December, 2288**

Once again, the year-end leave had arrived. Cadets left the campus in every direction. Grayson arrived at the door to Jill's room with his duffle slung over his shoulder, and picked hers up off the floor, and they were off to the transit station, headed for their apartment, for their departure for Africa was not scheduled until the next morning. They would have one night alone together before heading out.

When they reached what they now thought of as their own front door, he inserted the doorwand and waved her in. Once inside, he dropped both duffles on the hallway floor, ready to be picked up again in the morning, and swept her up off her feet, carrying her giggling into the bedroom, where he dropped her in the middle of the bed and followed her down, landing on top of her, laughing. He began to kiss her, his hands busy stripping off her clothing, and in no time they were both moaning, clutching at the other, their hearts pounding and their breath rough and panting. She wrapped herself around him, heels against his buttocks, pulling him close, and he slipped into her waiting body, groaning at the feel of her, tight against his lok. He thrust deep within, then drew almost out, then in again, while she cried out and writhed beneath him, her muscles clenching against him, her fingernails digging into his back as she hung on, ecstasy so close. He growled at her, thrusting again and again, until she bowed up under him, her body convulsing, her muscles contracting about him in waves, and all his controls vanished into the white hot light.

When he could see, and hear, again, he bent his head, and leaned his forehead against hers, still filled with her, and with what they had experienced. His heart still pounded too fast, and his breathing was not at all steady. But what he felt and what he wanted to say could not wait. "Jilly."

"Yes, Grayson." Her voice was soft, her breathing still fast. Her hands moved slowly against his back, caressing.

"Jilly promise me. Please ashayam."

"What do you want me to promise?"

"Promise me you'll bond formally with me as soon as we can."

"Oh, yes, Grayson, love, the day I graduate. I promise. You can make the arrangement at the Embassy for that afternoon. It won't be too soon to suit me."

Joy filled him, overflowing. The pulsing silver cords of their bond shimmered all around him, blinding him to anything and everything except her. And he could feel her, everywhere, surrounding him, loving him.

.

In the morning they rushed about, showering, eating a quick breakfast, and then grabbing the duffles and heading back to the transit station, back to the campus, to the transporter station there. When they stepped off the transporter platform and saw Grayson's grandfather beaming at them with open arms, they both grinned, hugging him back before stepping out of the way of other travelers. Grayson hefted the duffles and carried them out to the familiar ground car, and they were on their way. Alhamisi chuckled to himself as they drove, knowing exactly what his wife was going to do when she saw their beaming faces. Nor was he mistaken in the least, for she took Jill's hand immediately, and turned to Grayson to demand where the ring was.

"But Bibi, she's not allowed to wear a ring in uniform."

"And is she in uniform now?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Alhamisi Uhura. You take this young man right back into town, straight to cousin Samuel's shop, and see that he takes care of this right now. This young woman can't walk around as though she was available for any bright young man to make moves on!"

Jill blushed and stammered, but she had a smile on her face, and Grayson climbed back into the ground car without protesting. And when he came back, and slipped the ring with the oval opal embedded in the top onto her finger, she smiled with tears of joy in her eyes. All the aunts and uncles and cousins gathered round to see, and shower congratulations on the young couple. And if there was lots of whispering going on around and behind them, they were too happy to notice.

Later that evening, while the feasting was going on, Cousin Samuel drew Jill aside, and showed her a small selection of men's rings. When she looked up at him, wondering, he only smiled, and told her to choose the one she liked the best. She slipped the small box into her pocket and gave the older man a big hug, and when back to the feasting happily. And Samuel just nodded to M'Umbha, confirming that he had followed through on her suggestion. She smiled back at him, and began to make plans. Those young ones needed help, and she was just the one to provide it. Her husband just shook his head, knowing quite well to stay out of her way when she took something into her head as strongly as she had this.

.

The days few by, full of relatives, music, dancing, feasting, and general confusion. And then the next to the last day they were there, something changed. There was more of the whispering going on, and Grayson finally noticed it. He spoke to his grandfather, but was only told to go ask his grandmother.

"Bibi, what's going on?"

"A great celebration tonight, Grayson. Joy and love." M'Umbha beamed at him, and Grayson began to wonder.

"What are you planning, Bibi? You have to tell me."

"Wait and see, my grandson, wait and see." And then she was off, pulling Jill along behind her, while Grayson began to wonder whether what his grandmother was planning might not get he and Jill into trouble.

He was very certain of that when his cousins came and bore him away, laughing and making very lewd suggestions, to strip him down and bathe him, and dress him in brand-new clothing, only then letting him go back to the yard, where the tables had been pulled aside, and all the benches lined up. And there, at the end of lines of benches, stood his grandparents, and his grandfather's brother, with the old book that Grayson knew had all the marriages, and all the births, of the whole family recorded in it.

"Babu, we can't do this! It's against regulations! We'll get in trouble."

Daniel Uhura leaned forward then, and spoke softly. "You'll only get in trouble if someone at StarFleet finds out. And if the papers are never filed until it's legal according to their regulations, they'll never know. Now turn around and face your bride."

Grayson turned, and saw Jill coming out of the house, surrounded by his cousins. They had braided her hair in tiny braids, and painted her hands and feet with henna, and wrapped her in a brightly patterned cloth. She was smiling, her face alight with joy, and he knew there was no way he could stop what was happening. Not that he truly wanted to stop it. He almost held his breath as she approached, stunned at her beauty. And then she was there beside him, and holding his hands in hers, and they were repeating vows, and it was very real, and very right. And now he knew why his grandfather had insisted that he purchase a ring set, and not just an engagement ring. He took the plain band from his grandfather, and slipped it on Jill's finger beside the other, hearing the soft click as the two rings engaged the tiny clasps that would hold them together. And then, to his great surprise, she slipped a ring onto his finger, as well.

There were papers to sign, and they were given a copy, which he slipped into the pocket of his tunic. And then there was the feasting, and the dancing, long into the night. Until he could wait no longer, and swept her up into his arms, and carried her into the house, while all the aunts and uncles and cousins laughed and shouted words of encouragement.

.

When they returned to San Francisco, they headed straight for their apartment. In the locked drawer in the wall in the bedroom they placed the papers proving what they had done in Africa. And then they took off their rings, and laid them on top of the papers, until they came again to their safe place.


	10. Chapter 10:Starting the Final Countdown

**Destined From the Start - Part Two**

**Chapter Ten - Starting the Final Countdown**

**January, 2289**

He met with his counselor and discussed the electives he wanted to take to fill in around the last two required classes. When they were approved, he headed for the campus bookstore. Finding an empty kiosk, he entered his id, and his schedule appeared on the screen, followed by the list of texts he would need. Only one appeared to be a real bound book, the others were all downloads. He pressed the necessary keys to start the download process and waited for the directions to locate the book. Just as the PADD slipped down into the waiting bin, he felt a light touch on his arm and looked down into the laughing eyes of his bondmate.

"Hey, fancy finding you here."

He grinned back at her. "Have you finished your enrollment, too?"

She swung her carrybag around her side. "All done. How about you?"

He picked the PADD up and stuck it in his own carrybag and took the slip of plasty with the directions on it. "Just one real book to go find and I'm done. Hungry?"

"Always. How about Indian tonight? We could pick it up on the way."

He knew exactly what she was referring to, without her saying anything else at all. "Great idea. Let me go find this book and we'll be on our way."

His eyes went to the indicators on the ceiling, finding the aisle he needed quickly. A short time later, they were walking down the walkway outside in the crisp air. Their favorite restaurant was only a block off-campus, and less than that from the transit station. It only took a few minutes to get their order packaged up, and then they were headed for the station, arriving only a few minutes before the next train. A short ride, another short walk, and they were in the turbolift in the building housing their 'safe place'.

As soon as they were inside, they went straight to the bedroom. Grayson laid his palm on the lockplate, opening the special drawer that contained the things they needed to keep hidden. He picked up her rings and slid them onto her finger, feeling something settle down inside as he did. When she slid his ring onto his finger, it was like a lock closing, smooth and satisfying. They stood there for a moment, foreheads touching, as their bond expanded, shining brightly. And then they both straightened, and grinned, and headed for the kitchen to eat while the food was still hot.

After putting the leftovers in the stasis unit and cleaning up the dishes, they settled down on the couch with their new texts, skimming through the first chapters of each one, getting a feel for what they would be studying this time. Jill brought her legs up, crossing them with her feet tucked in, and he settled down, stretching out, using one thigh for a pillow. Now and then her hand ruffled through his hair, softly, just because she could. He didn't protest in the least.

When he had read all he could for one evening, he laid down the PADD, and rolled over facing the back of the couch. From this position he had ready access to her, and began to slide his hands under the hem of her blouse, over the soft skin of her midriff. She sighed, and laid her own PADD down, and responded by running her fingers lightly over the curve of his ear, sending flashes of heat down his nerves. It did not take them very long at all to adjourn to the bedroom, but it was some time before they slept.

As usual on Saturdays, they slept late, relishing in that small luxury. And then there was a long shower, steamy in more than one way. Breakfast over, they bent to their books again, making a serious attempt to read. After a couple of hours, he rose and moved the low table out of the middle of the room, and set the entertainment console to play the steady drum rhythm that they used to practice with. Eagerly she rose to join him, moving through the katas he had taught her, much more confident now than she had been when he began his teaching. He had no fears now that she would be unable to defend herself if necessary, during the time that he would not be here with her.

They went out, that evening, to join their friends at the Galaxy Pit, dancing and laughing, drinking beer and having fun. And then back to their own place, to touch and taste, and drive each other into ecstasy.

After another long shower, and a leisurely breakfast, they headed back to the campus, arriving at Grayson's dorm room only a few minutes before Amanda showed up, settled down in their normal places barely in time to receive the weekly call from the Enterprise.

Monday morning, they started the first clinic of the new session, finding themselves assigned to minor surgery this time to their delight. And Monday evening after supper, they headed for the library to join their respective study groups.

By the end of the week, they were firmly established in the routine that would carry them through until the end of May, when Grayson would graduate. They tried not to think too much about the year-long absence that would follow that, treasuring each day in between.


	11. Chapter 11:A Surgeon's Skill

**Destined From the Start - Part Two**

**Chapter Eleven - A Surgeon's Skill**

**February, 2289**

Grayson walked into the men's locker room and stripped off his uniform, changing into a clean set of scrubs from the dispenser at the door. Then he went into the scrub room and began the now familiar routine. First, the sink where he scrubbed in liquid soap and hot water, then the hot air dryer, then the sterilizing light, and last the unit where a fine mist sprayed out as he turned his hands around, coating them in a micrometer-thick layer of sealant. Holding his hands upright before him, he bumped the door to the operating room with his hip and entered, the mechanism scanning the small badge pinned to his scrubs to determine whether or not to admit him.

He crossed the room to his assigned spot and saw Jill coming toward him, her own scrubbing completed. She steered a small tray filled with instruments with deft movements of her forearms, not touching anything with her hands until time for the operation to start. When she was in position just behind and to his left, she stopped, ready and waiting for his instruction.

In a few moments, the rest of the team had assembled, and the patient was wheeled into the room. Quickly the anesthesiologist checked to be sure that the medication given to the patient earlier had taken effect, and then intubated him and connected him to the equipment that would provide oxygen and anesthetic during the surgery. One of the nurses on the other side of the table set up the monitor, displaying heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, oxygenation level, and all the other things the doctors needed to monitor during the surgery. They were ready to begin.

Quietly, Grayson told Jill what he needed, holding out his hand and finding her there already. He bent to his assigned task, working closely with the other doctors to complete the complicated surgery as quickly as possible, while doing as thorough a job as they were able to do. It took four hours, and he was soaked with sweat and tired to the bone when they were done.

He sent a quick wave of appreciation to Jill, and headed for the showers. A short time later, he met her in the hall outside the surgery suite, and they headed for the mess hall, where their friends would already be eating. Trays in hand, they sat down in the seats which had been saved for them, right in the middle of the table. Joey was the first to speak. "Tell us what the two of you did today."

Everyone was looking at them, food forgotten. Grayson took a quick gulp of his stew and began to talk, interspersing bites of food when he could. "We did a shoulder resection this morning. Not something that comes along very often. We were lucky to get assigned to it. Remember that idiot that plowed his hoverbike into the side of the gym? He smashed his shoulder so bad that they couldn't regrow the bones. They tried three times, and it just wouldn't set. The bones were in too many pieces. So today, we took out all the splinters, and put in a new matrix, and an artificial joint, and grew new bone over it all, then repaired the muscles and reattached the tendons. He'll be almost as good as new after it finishes healing and he goes through rehab."

Around the table people sighed, and returned to their food. Grayson always had an interesting tale to tell after surgery. Annie spoke to Jill, asking her about her role, and Grayson leaned forward to answer. "She put all the tools in my hand almost without my having to tell her what I needed." He grinned widely. "I have the best surgical nurse on campus."

Jill blushed and grinned. "We always go over the operation ahead of time and talk about which tools he'll use for each portion of the operation. He makes it easy for me."

Annie just shook her head. "I don't know how you keep all those sharp little things and little electronic gizmos separated. They all look alike to me. I see the practice kits you bring to the dorm. You have an amazing memory."

There were nods all around the table, and then the topic of conversation began to vary, finally landing on what they were going to do on Saturday evening. It was something they were all looking forward to, and it had taken them two months to get the tickets. They were going to a murder mystery - one of those where you walked around and looked at scenes that had been set up and tried to solve the mystery yourself. They were all quite excited about it.

Saturday evening they all met at the transit station, tickets in hand, and boarded the train together. They were admitted into the setup in teams of four, and Grayson and Jill found themselves starting out with Joey and Sally. They took the write-up that was handed to them as they went in, and Grayson read it aloud. And then they were in the first room, and looking about, trying to figure out what they were supposed to be looking for, and what clues were in this room. They had been wandering around, making notes, for almost an hour when they felt the tremor begin. Instantly, they jumped into the closest doorway, clinging to the frame, while the building shook. They could hear crashes, things falling, and then someone screamed. When the shaking stopped, they headed in the direction of the cries for help, determined to do whatever they could.

They pushed their way through a pile of debris, and into what had been a large glassed-in room, crowded with plants and wicker furniture. There on the floor was a young man, with a large spike of glass through his upper arm. Beside him a young woman was trying to stanch the flow of blood, calling continuously for help. Grayson knelt down quickly, Jill at his side, and Joey and Sally helped the young woman up and out of the way. "Looks like an artery is cut. We need to stop the bleeding quickly."

Grayson's fingers probed into the deep cut, seeking the source of the pumping blood. "There. Got it. Put your fingers right where mine are."

Jill slipped her fingers into the wound, finding the spot where Grayson wanted her to apply pressure. Carefully he eased his fingers out, leaving her there to maintain pressure while he looked up and asked for whatever tools people might have on them. Joey quickly turned his pockets out, and handed Grayson a small pocket tool, with knife blades and a rasp, and other possibly useful options. Sally opened her purse and took out a small device and offered it. "This is a portable clothing repair tool. It will glue things together."

Startled, Grayson took it from her and turned it over in his hands. Sally gave him a quick explanation of how it worked and he grinned at her. "This might just do the job. At least until we can get him some real repair." He took Joey's tool and found a small, sharp blade, as Joey ran back to one of the other rooms they had been in, returning with a bottle of wine.

"Only thing I could think of that we passed that might work to sterilize the knife blade."

"Good thinking. Here, pour some on the blade as I turn it around." He then took the knife and carefully widened the would, exposing the cut edges of the artery, with Jill's fingers carefully clamping them closed. He used the small tool Sally had given him, spraying the glue generously over the whole area, and then turning on the light that would set it. Slowly Jill eased her fingers up and they held their breaths until they could see that there was no more blood pumping out. They cleaned the pieces of glass out of the wound as best they could, and were tying a folded scarf over the would when the Emergency Medical Team arrived.

They searched for a working bathroom next, the clean themselves up as best they could. And then they gathered with the rest of their friends, to see whether there was anything else they could do to help before heading out somewhere to find something to eat, for the dinner they had paid for certainly wasn't going to be served. As they exited, management was there, handing out rainchecks, so that people could buy replacement tickets at a much lower rate. They just shook their heads. By the time the place was repaired and reopened, they would all be studying for finals.

They found a pizza place nearby that was undamaged, and settled down, pushing tables together until they had room for everyone. And Kan and Shron groused until the food arrived, that they hadn't been there to see Grayson and Jill operate.


	12. Chapter 12:Rainy Days

**Destined From the Start - Part Two**

**Chapter Twelve - Rainy Days**

**March, 2289**

It was wet. It had rained every day for the last week, and everything was soggy. The trees dripped continuously, whether it was actively raining or not. If he stepped off the paved path, he sank in the mud, and his boots needed cleaning and polishing when he got back to his dorm. The damp permeated everything and he felt chilled to the bone all the time. He could hardly wait for Friday evening, when he could light the fire in their apartment and finally get warm and dry.

Everyone had their personal shields on all the time when they were outside, and you had to be careful. It you bumped into something or someone when you weren't expecting it, you could lose your balance. On the one hand, it was good practice, but on the other, you might wind up down in the mud, even wetter than you had been. The mess hall was full of people in damp uniforms, with mud streaks here and there. And every other person seemed to have a cold, as well. Sneezing and coughing seemed to be the order of the day. All in all, it was dreary, dreary, dreary.

He finished his last class on Friday afternoon and hurried back to his dorm to leave his books. After changing into jeans and a warm sweater, he hurried down the pathway to Jill's dorm, eager to be on their way as soon as possible. And found her sneezing and coughing, almost unwilling to go back out in the damp. He was very persuasive, telling her how warm it would be in front of the fire, and how he would rub her back and feed her warm tea. Finally she changed out of the flannel gown she was wearing and put on a waterproof jacket, and let him guide her out of the dorm and down the path to the transit station.

He let her lean against him and sleep on the train, even though their trip was not long. And he half carried her the rest of the way, only stopping at the entrance to their building to be sure that she was awake and could walk steadily until their were in their own place. Once inside, with the door locked, he immediately went and lit the fire he always kept laid ready, and brought out the soft throw that she often wound around her while she was studying. He took her jacket and hung it up and settled her down on the couch, covered in the throw, while he went to make tea. And while the tea was brewing, he rubbed her back and shoulders, and massaged her sinuses. The hot tea helped as well, soothing her throat, opening up her sinuses, helping her to breathe better. And when the tea was finished, he pulled her up over him, winding his arms around her, and kept her warm until she slept soundly.

He slipped carefully off the couch, leaving her wrapped in the soft throw, and went to the bedroom. He drew back the covers, and went to find the heating pad she had brought here, and laid it on the sheets, turning it on to warm them up. And then he went into the bathroom, and ran the shower hot, filling the room with steam. He left the door open, so that the warm air filtered out into the bedroom as well. When everything was warm, he turned off the water and removed the heating pad from the bed and went back and picked her up, carrying her in and laying her down on the warm sheets, covering her up with the thick duvet. He tugged at her jeans, pulling them off with her all covered up, and she fussed at him, but didn't wake completely up. He removed his own jeans, and his sweater as well, and climbed into the bed, wrapping himself around her to add his own body warmth. She sighed, and snuggled into him, and dropped into an even deeper sleep. Hopefully, in the morning she would feel better.

.

He rose before she did the next morning, and went to stand before the window in the living room, looking out at the grey fog. It was impossible to see anything. They might have been inside a cloud. He shook his head, and relit the fire, to warm up the living area. He put water on for tea, and brewed a pot, carrying it into the bedroom. When she smelled the fragrance, she sighed, and stuck one hand out from under the covers.

He laughed softly. "You can't drink tea laying down. You'll have to sit up."

Groggily she pushed herself up against the head of the bed, clutching the covers around her, and took the cup he held out to her. "My head's not quite as stuffed up as it was yesterday. The tea and the dry warmth have helped." She gave him a small smile as she sipped on her tea.

"A nice hot shower will help you feel even better."

She didn't argue a bit, but waited until he had the water running before getting out of the warm bed. She stood under the water, sighing, and then leaned against him, just letting the water stream over them. She almost fell asleep again before he turned off the water and reached out to get a towel to wrap around her. Dressed again in the warmest clothes she had here at the apartment, she followed him out to the kitchen and let him feed her breakfast. Then she settled down on the couch with a pillow and the soft throw, enjoying the warmth of the fire.

He kept making tea for her, using the herbs he had had sent from New Vulcan for just such a possibility, and let her sleep as much as she wanted. By suppertime, she was much more alert, and by bedtime, she was most definitely interested in warming him up, much to his delight. And she woke him up the next morning, her hands and mouth moving over his body and setting his heart to pounding. He was sorry they had to leave, just when she was feeling better, but Amanda would be expecting them to be in his dorm room for the weekly call from the Enterprise.

He bundled her up to keep her as dry and warm as possible and carefully merged their personal shields, so that they could walk arm in arm. But he was glad when they got to his room and found that the heat had been turned up. It was nice and toasty warm, and Amanda sighed in happiness when she came in.

.

The rain continued, intermittently, for almost the whole month. The only times they felt really warm and dry where when they were in their apartment. He was seriously considering spending more time there when it finally quit raining. All over the campus, cadets stood outside in the weak sunlight and grinned and laughed, enjoying being dry.


	13. Chapter 13:A Young Man's Fancy

**Destined From the Start - Part Two**

**Chapter Thirteen - A Young Man's Fancy**

**April, 2289**

Spring had finally arrived. Flowers were blooming everywhere. Everything smelled wonderful. The sun was bright, the skies were clear, and life was perfect. Grayson walked down the pathway with a bounce in his step. It was Friday afternoon and the weekend stretched out in front of them, ready to be enjoyed. Swiftly he crossed the campus to Jill's dorm and tapped lightly on her door. It opened almost instantly, and she was there, grinning at him, ready to leave. They headed out across the campus toward the transit station, eager. They stopped on the way, at a favorite restaurant, and picked up hot food, packaged to go, taking it with them to eat in their apartment.

But when they had finished eating, the sun was still shining in the windows, and they found it impossible to stay inside. Back out they went, and down the sidewalks only a few blocks, to the park they had found, halfway between the building their apartment was in and the embassy, the same park, if they had only known, where Selek and Durra had walked and talked, where he had played when he was quite small, and his family had spent time at the Embassy with Sarek and Selek and their families. They walked about, over the green grass, under the wide-spreading trees, and leaned on the stone wall at the edge of the park, looking out over the water below, racing in towards land. And everywhere they went, they went hand-in-hand, their minds perfectly in tune.

The sun was setting over the water when they finally turned and started back to their apartment. A light breeze began to blow, chilling the air, and they hurried a little more, glad to get back inside again. Flushed and happy, they could barely contain themselves until they were inside, with the door shut, before leaning into each other for a long, slow kiss. He brushed the sides of her face lightly, and she sighed against him, her hands going around his neck, tangling in the short wiry curls at the back of his head. Everywhere she touched him, his skin tingled as though charged with electricity. He made a soft sound, not quite a growl, and she moaned softly, rubbing against him. He reached down, and swept her up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom, laughing and giggling.

Somehow he managed to land on the bed without tripping and proceeded to attack her without mercy, licking and tickling under she was laughing so hard that she was gasping for breath. And then he stroked against the side of her face with his fingertips, feeling the familiar tingling that always occurred when they touched, and he buried his face against her neck, nuzzling her, filling her with his love, while she held him against her, her fingers once again running through his hair. They moved together then, caressing each other, mouths moving over skin, soft sighs and moans filling the air. Somehow all the clothes came off, and got tossed over the side of the bed, and there was skin to touch, and the sighs became moans, and the moans became groans, and he began to growl softly at her, the sound building low in his chest and rumbling up to fill her ears.

He moved over her, skin sliding against skin, his hands and mouth finding all the places on her body that he knew so well now. And she did not lay silently still beneath him, but joined in the touching, arousing him almost beyond bearing. His lok rose between them, hard and throbbing, drops of lubricant oozing from its tip, smearing across the soft skin of her belly, making her gasp and buck against him as his fingers stroked her. She reached down, and curled her hand around him, and stroked up and down, and his growl intensified. And when neither of them could bear it any longer, he rolled over, and raised her above him, and brought her down, impaling her in one swift movement.

She cried out, and her muscles squeezed against him, and he growled even louder. She began to move, rocking her body back and forth against his, crying out in pleasure as he rubbed against the sensitive nerves within. He grasped her hips and pulled her down tight against him, thrusting up hard into her body. She leaned over and grasped his shoulders, and moved up and down upon him as he thrust, meeting him each time with a tight squeeze before releasing him to rise again. Faster he moved beneath her, heat building within until he could contain it no longer. With a great roar, he thrust up into her, filling her with his heat, as she spasmed about him, shaking and crying out.

He shuddered and she shook, their hearts pounding, their chests heaving. Eventually, she relaxed down against his chest, burying her face against his neck, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close until they were both calm again, whispering soft words to her, to tell her how he felt. And then he rose from the bed, and went and fetched their rings from their safe hiding place, and placed hers on her finger, and she placed his upon him, and they curled about each other and fell asleep, perfectly content.

And all through that bright spring, neither of them would even think about the long separation that was coming, choosing instead to enjoy every minute they had together.


	14. Chapter 14:The Big Day

**Destined From the Start - Part Two**

**Chapter Fourteen - The Big Day**

**May, 2289**

Grayson was nervous - he had no trouble at all admitting it. He tugged at the collar of his dress uniform, even though it wasn't really that tight. Baba and Mama and all his siblings would be sitting in the audience, watching. Jill would be sitting with her class, watching as well. He couldn't show how nervous he was, it just wouldn't do.

Joey came up behind him, and slapped him on the back, grinning. "Ready?"

Grayson grinned back. "Ready as I'll ever be." They headed for the long line, finding their places and then just standing there, waiting. Finally the music started, and the long march began, until they were all standing in their places, waiting for the Commandant to tell them to sit.

There were speeches and awards, and Grayson found himself shaking hands with both the Commandant and Dr Cantos, his first triangle pinned on his jacket front. He hadn't expected that at all. He found that he was grinning, without even being aware of it, grinning so hard that his cheeks ached. And he could feel Jill's pride through the link between them, and that of his parents, and even fainter, of his siblings.

And then the march began again, one row at a time rising and walking slowly towards the stage, up the stairs, across the front of the stage to shake hands and receive their diploma and their rank, and then across the stage and down the other stairs and back to the rows of seats, to stand waiting until their entire row was there, and then, thankfully, to sit again. He was officially Dr S'chn T'Gai Grayson of StarFleet now! He had rank equivalent to a Lieutenant, and one award triangle!

And then, at last, the long ceremony was over, and he was free to find his family. Jill was making her way towards Mama and Baba, too, having seen where they were sitting. But the distance she had to cover was longer, and he arrived there first, and Mama hugged him, with tears in her eyes, and Sobek and Semik goggled at the triangle pinned on his jacket, while Baba just stood there, his eyes twinkling, and such a feeling of warmth coming from him. T'Mara took his diploma and read it carefully, her face serious, with Amanda leaning over her shoulder and pointing out things to her and explaining what they meant.

He could feel Jill's excitement and he lifted his face and saw her, almost here. And then something happened. Someone reached out from the crowd and grabbed her arm, twisting her about. He felt her shock and dismay and started forward, but felt Baba's hand on his arm. "It is her parents."

He looked again, and sure enough, there they stood - totally unexpected. Her father had her by the arm, and was pulling at her, trying to force her off away from them. Behind him he heard Baba, speaking softly. "They have traveled far to see her. Give them a few moments before interrupting."

"She wasn't expecting them. They never tell her anything. We had plans for today, Baba."

"Give them a few moments alone, and then we will go over and identify ourselves, and ask that they join us."

Grayson shook his head. "You know they won't, Baba. They would never set foot in the Embassy."

"I fear you are correct, however, we must observe the proprieties. We must not give them any reason to create a scene. There are many others here celebrating."

Grayson grasped what his father was saying, but it was difficult. This was the last day that he would see Jill for an entire year, and they had planned to spend it with his family, and tonight in their own apartment, saying goodbye. He felt these plans crumbling away and all his joy in this day evaporated.

Before he could start forward, they were tugging at her, and heading off, and she was looking back over her shoulder at him, anguish on her face. He started after them, but the press of the crowd was great, and he could not make it to them before they had reached the line of waiting hovercabs, and pushed her inside. He stood there, feeling her inside, trying to reassure her, everything in shambles, until his father came, and laid one hand on his shoulder. "Let us go and join your mother. Perhaps we can discover where they have taken her."

He followed along, listlessly, and tried to regain his composure. It was very difficult. All the things they had meant to share with his family would have to wait. He did his best, all that long day, to be happy and not to worry his parents. He caught Amanda looking at him with concern on her face several times that day, and just shook his head to tell her not to say anything. But it was very hard to see the events that had been planned for today disappearing as the day wore on. Wherever Jill's parents had taken her, they had not registered until their own names, for try as he could, Baba could not discover their whereabouts.

He lay quietly in his bed in his dorm room that night, not sleeping. He could tell that Jill was crying, and he sent her calm, and love, and finally felt her settle down into sleep. He kept telling himself that he would see her in the morning at SpaceDock, where all the cadets would be, either going to their summer assignments, or off to their first postings. But somehow he was not able to convince himself.

In the morning, Mama and Baba and the twins and T'Mara met him and Amanda at the Mess Hall for breakfast. The twins asked two million questions, and he couldn't help but laugh at them. But Jill was nowhere to be seen. And he sensed her agitation. When he gasped aloud, Baba and Mama both turned to see what the problem was. "Her parents are trying to pressure her not to report this morning! They want her to come back with them! Baba, it will ruin her record if she doesn't report! We have to do something."

Baba looked at him, and reached over and laid one hand over his, filling him with calm. "Find out where they are."

He closed his eyes and concentrated, and finally got through to her. He opened his eyes again, and told his father where they were, staying at the home of some old friends of her parents. Baba lifted his communicator and spoke into it, conveying the situation. When he dropped his wrist again, his eyes were dark. "Security will pick her up and bring her to the shuttle hanger. Can you get her duffle?"

"Yes. I know she's all packed."

Amanda spoke up then. "I'll go and get it. You go and get yours. I know where she has to go to check in, and I'll be sure she gets her duffle. You can meet her on SpaceDock. Now get moving."

He nodded, full of gratitude, and headed for his dorm, the twins right behind him. Mama and Baba would meet them outside the shuttle hanger. He grabbed his duffle, and shoved the twins back out the door, closing it behind him for the last time. And then he practically sprinted across the campus, trying to reach the shuttle hanger in time to see her before he had to report. But it was not to be. He gave Mama one last hug, and then T'Mara, and clasped hands with his father and punched the twins on the shoulder, which made them grin. And then he shouldered his duffle and went and reported, and boarded the shuttle for SpaceDock. He looked out the widow when they had cleared the hanger, and saw them all, standing there, watching. Mama and Amanda were waving. He settled back in his seat, amidst the noise and excitement around him, and waited impatiently until they docked.

As soon as possible he was off the shuttle. He looked at the monitor suspended above him and identified the ship he was to report to, and when, and then he was off, searching for her. Up and down the concourse he went, the bond opened wide, aware that she was here already. And then he saw her, far down the concourse, hurrying in his direction. In only a minute, she was in his arms, and holding him tightly. "I only have a few minutes, and then I need to board my ship. They almost made me miss it!"

"But Security got you here in time. And we got to touch each other once more." He was so full of emotion he could barely control himself."

She buried her face against his neck, shaking. "If it wasn't for your father, my career in StarFleet would be over. Thank him for me, Grayson. Please."

"I already have, Jill. He knows how much this means to us." He held her, stroking her back, trying to help her calm down. "The apartment is still ours. You can use it all next year. I will do my best to call you there every weekend."

She nodded against him, holding him tight, and then straightened up, straining for composure. Still holding her closely against his side, they headed down the concourse, towards the slip where the ship she would be traveling on was docked. When they reached there, he turned her toward him, and gave her one long kiss, and then she was walking away, straight and proud, saluting the guard at the gate, and then she was gone, out of his sight. He sighed, and turned, and headed for his own ship. When they were both at their assignments, he would be able to call her on subspace. It would not be the same as being there in person, but still, he would be able to see her face.


	15. Chapter 15:First Posting

**Destined From the Start - Part Two**

**Chapter Fifteen - First Posting**

**June, 2289**

When the shuttle landed, and he stepped out, it was almost as if he had never left. Here he was again - on New Vulcan. The location of his first posting had come as a complete surprise to him. When he had opened his orders in his cabin on the transport ship he had been astounded. He was assigned to assist in the construction and staffing of the new hospital StarFleet was building on New Vulcan! He would be here from the very beginning, interacting with the local people and seeing just how a field hospital was set up. It was a very exciting challenge he had been given. He wasn't sure just how he had managed to get this assignment, but he wasn't going to complain in the least.

When he cleared the shuttle landing area, he was not at all surprised to see his uncle Sybok there waiting for him. Of course Baba would have passed on his news, and of course Sybok would be the one to welcome him, for he was here, at the shuttle landing site every day. It had been too long since they had seen one another, and they had many things to speak of, but first Grayson must find the temporary headquarters and check in, and find out where he would be sleeping and eating. Sybok led him off, and pointed out the building where he needed to go, and told him that he would be expected at the clan house for end-meal that night, unless he was ordered to do otherwise. Grayson grinned. He hardly thought that whoever was in charge here would be willing to displease the matriarch of one of the most prominent clans by refusing to allow her grandson to have dinner with her. Unless they didn't know, of course.

He shouldered his duffle again after saying goodbye to his uncle and struck out across the red-brown ground towards the small building. When he opened the door, it was to an icy blast of air-conditioning. Someone was over-compensating for the heat! He found a board mounted near the door, with the room numbers with names next to them.

Off down the hall he went, following the numbers, until he came to the door with the small sign on it : Commanding Officer. He wasn't sure exactly what to do next, the door was closed, should he just open it or knock first? He was about to raise his hand to knock when the door opened in front of him. Startled, he took half a step backwards to escape being run over. A young woman wearing a StarFleet medical uniform teetered to a stop, just barely missing running right into him. "Oh, my, I wasn't expecting anyone to be on the other side of the door!"

He was a bit puzzled. Surely they had his paperwork and were expecting him on this shuttle? "Dr S'chn T'gai Grayson, reporting for duty."

"Was that today? For some reason we were expecting you tomorrow." She looked flustered. "We don't have your billet ready yet."

"I don't think that will be a problem. My grandmother is expecting me for end-meal and I'm sure my uncle can put me up in his spare bedroom for a night - or even longer if there's a problem with space."

That seemed to make her even more flustered. "Your grandmother? Your uncle? You have relatives here?"

He simply nodded. Surely this wasn't the commanding officer. Surely not. And then he heard a voice from further back in the room behind the young woman. "Is our new doctor here already? Send him on in."

The young woman stepped aside, and motioned him into the room and he stepped in, moving far enough to be out of her way, and she scurried out the door, closing it behind her. At the far end of the room was another door, and through that apparently another office. He moved in that direction and saw, behind a desk, and large middle-aged man in a StarFleet uniform. This must be the Commanding Officer then. He came to attention before the desk and repeated what he had said earlier. "Dr S'chn T'gai Grayson reporting for duty, sir."

"Glad to have you aboard. Set down that duffle and have a seat. We're just getting organized here. The construction contract's already been let to some local group - Builder Varun."

At that, Grayson almost smiled, but then remembered where he was. So Uncle Varun had won this very lucrative contract, then. Well and good for him. And he would be easy to deal with, too.

"I don't suppose you speak any of the local language at all, do you? We really need to find some translators."

"I do speak Vulcan quite well, actually. My parents taught it to me when I was quite small. And we spent a year here on sabbatical when I was ten, so I got lots of experience."

The man behind the desk stared at him. And then things apparently clicked. "You're Spock's kid!"

"Yes, sir. Commander Spock is indeed my father."

The Commanding Officer leaned back in his chair. "Well, that's going to make things a lot easier." He leaned forward over the desk then. "Your grandmother - that's T'Pau, isn't it? And the man that runs the cargo facility here - he's your uncle, isn't he?"

"One of them, yes. I have several."

"This is going to make things run along much smoother here." He sighed in relief. "I have to tell you, I wasn't prepared for the environment here. All the other construction projects I've run have been on Earth or one of the Earth colonies, where everyone speaks Standard. I had no idea I would be expected to learn this language they speak here. Just sounds like babble to me." He sighed. "I guess I'll get used to it eventually. If they'd just let me use that Universal Translator thing I'd be okay." He shuffled things around on his desk and came up with a small PADD. "Here's all the information you'll need. We'll have a barracks up by the end of the week. Until then, I'm afraid you'll have to live off the local economy."

Grayson took the PADD, suppressing the grin that wanted to escape. "I don't think that will be a hardship, sir."

"Well, off with you then. Report back here at 0800 tomorrow and Lt Hampton will show you where you'll be working. Since you speak the local language, I'm making you the go-between to that building contractor. That shouldn't be a problem, should it?"

"No, sir, not at all." Just wait until he told Uncle Varun! He stood up and shouldered his duffle once again, and headed back out towards the hall, almost running into the young woman again. He supposed she must be Lt Hampton. Back outside he went, and headed straight towards the clan compound, his steps light.

When he reached the gate in front of the clan house, he was spotted by the children playing in the yard. Someone went running inside the house immediately, and the others came to greet him. These children were too young to have ever met him in person, but they all knew exactly who he was. After all, there was only one member of the clan in the StarFleet medical department. In no time at all, he was seated in the solar, with T'Pau and Parik and Sesuk and T'Pena seated around him, and a cup of tea in his hand and a plate of dainties on the table at his elbow. And nothing would do but that he explain everything to them all. And then his grandmother stood, and indicated that he should follow here, and led him to a small room, with a desk with a comlink sitting on it.

"Your parents will wish to know that you have arrived safely. And your bondmate as well." And then she turned and walked away, leaving Grayson standing there, his mouth open.


End file.
